title: Prospective multicenter phase II clinical trial of FOLFIRI chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant treatment for colorectal cancer with multiple liver metastases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combining 5-flurouracil/folinic acid with irinotecan (FOLFIRI) in colorectal multiple liver metastases regardless of resectability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four patients with multiple (at least two) colorectal liver metastases were enrolled at seven tertiary referral hospitals between May 2007 and September 2010. All patients received the FOLFIRI chemotherapeutic regimen. Response to chemotherapy was assessed after three cycles (6 weeks) and once more after six cycles (12 weeks) of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Objective response was noted in 27 patients (61.4%) and 4 patients (9.1%) had progressive disease. Of 44 patients, 10 patients (22.7%) underwent curative surgery (R0 resection) and 34 patients did not receive R0 resection. Grades 3 to 4 hematological toxicity was noted in 12 patients (27.3%) and grades 3 to 4 nonhematologic toxicity was identified in 5 patients (11.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FOLFIRI chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant chemotherapy for multiple colorectal liver metastases regardless of resectability demonstrated the possibility of R0 resection, high rate of objective response, and tolerable toxicities in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Moo Jun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Chang Nam
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Dong Kook
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hwan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Namgung
authors.forename: Sang Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-Jeon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Chemotherapy; Colorectal cancer; Metastasis; Neoadjuvant therapy